Inspired by a recent patient diagnosis. Courtesy of a colleague.
Willemsen MH, Vissers LE, Willemsen MA, van Bon BW, Kroes T, de Ligt J, de
Vries BB, Schoots J, Lugtenberg D, Hamel BC, van Bokhoven H, Brunner HG, Veltman
JA, Kleefstra T. Mutations in DYNC1H1 cause severe intellectual disability with
neuronal migration defects. J Med Genet. 2012 Mar;49(3):179-83.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
DYNC1H1 encodes the heavy chain protein of the cytoplasmic dynein 1 motor protein complex that plays a key role in retrograde axonal transport in neurons. Furthermore, it interacts with the LIS1 gene of which haploinsufficiency causes a severe neuronal migration disorder in humans, known as classical lissencephaly or Miller-Dieker syndrome.
AIM:
To describe the clinical spectrum and molecular characteristics of DYNC1H1 mutations.
METHODS:
A family based exome sequencing approach was used to identify de novo mutations in patients with severe intellectual disability.
RESULTS:
In this report the identification of two de novo missense mutations in DYNC1H1 (p.Glu1518Lys and p.His3822Pro) in two patients with severe intellectual disability and variable neuronal migration defects is described.
CONCLUSION:
Since an autosomal dominant mutation in DYNC1H1 was previously identified in a family with the axonal (type 2) form of Charcot- Marie-Tooth (CMT2) disease and mutations in Dync1h1 in mice also cause impaired neuronal migration in addition to neuropathy, these data together suggest that mutations in DYNC1H1 can lead to a broad phenotypic spectrum and confirm the importance of DYNC1H1 in both central and peripheral neuronal functions.
Poirier K, Lebrun N, Broix L, Tian G, Saillour Y, Boscheron C, Parrini E,
Valence S, Pierre BS, Oger M, Lacombe D, Geneviève D, Fontana E, Darra F, Cances
C, Barth M, Bonneau D, Bernadina BD, N'guyen S, Gitiaux C, Parent P, des Portes
V, Pedespan JM, Legrez V, Castelnau-Ptakine L, Nitschke P, Hieu T, Masson C,
Zelenika D, Andrieux A, Francis F, Guerrini R, Cowan NJ, Bahi-Buisson N, Chelly
J. Mutations in TUBG1, DYNC1H1, KIF5C and KIF2A cause malformations of cortical
development and microcephaly. Nat Genet. 2013 Jun;45(6):639-47.
Abstract
The genetic causes of malformations of cortical development (MCD) remain largely unknown. Here we report the discovery of multiple pathogenic missense mutations in TUBG1, DYNC1H1 and KIF2A, as well as a single germline mosaic mutation in KIF5C, in subjects with MCD. We found a frequent recurrence of mutations in DYNC1H1, implying that this gene is a major locus for unexplained MCD. We further show that the mutations in KIF5C, KIF2A and DYNC1H1 affect ATP hydrolysis, productive protein folding and microtubule binding, respectively. In addition, we show that suppression of mouse Tubg1 expression in vivo interferes with proper neuronal migration, whereas expression of altered γ-tubulin proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae disrupts normal microtubule behavior. Our data reinforce the importance of centrosomal and microtubule-related proteins in cortical development and strongly suggest that microtubule-dependent mitotic and postmitotic processes are major contributors to the pathogenesis of MCD.
Strickland AV, Schabhüttl M, Offenbacher H, Synofzik M, Hauser NS,
ReplyDeleteBrunner-Krainz M, Gruber-Sedlmayr U, Moore SA, Windhager R, Bender B, Harms M, Klebe S, Young P, Kennerson M, Garcia AS, Gonzalez MA, Züchner S, Schule R, Shy ME, Auer-Grumbach M. Mutation screen reveals novel variants and expands the phenotypes associated with DYNC1H1. J Neurol. 2015 Sep;262(9):2124-34.
Abstract
Dynein, cytoplasmic 1, heavy chain 1 (DYNC1H1) encodes a necessary subunit of the cytoplasmic dynein complex, which traffics cargo along microtubules. Dominant DYNC1H1 mutations are implicated in neural diseases, including spinal muscular atrophy with lower extremity dominance (SMA-LED), intellectual disability with neuronal migration defects, malformations of cortical development, and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, type 2O. We hypothesized that additional variants could be found in these and novel motoneuron and related diseases. Therefore, we analyzed our database of 1024 whole exome sequencing samples of motoneuron and related diseases for novel single nucleotide variations. We filtered these results for significant variants, which were further screened using segregation analysis in available family members. Analysis revealed six novel, rare, and highly conserved variants. Three of these are likely pathogenic and encompass a broad phenotypic spectrum with distinct disease clusters. Our findings suggest that DYNC1H1 variants can cause not only lower, but also upper motor neuron disease. It thus adds DYNC1H1 to the growing list of spastic paraplegia related genes in microtubule-dependent motor protein pathways.